. >>> there's no deal to resolve the fiscal cliff but there are indications of inside-the-scenes talk. the white house told reporters that lines of communication remain open not sure exactly what that means but a spokesman for house speaker john boehner used a similar phrase. maybe that means call me? i don't know. analysts say there are some suggestions that there's real progress that can be made. >>> a 7.3 magnitude earthquake hit the northeastern coast of japan this morning, the same area as the devastating march 2011 quake. but there was a tsunami warning canceled and reports of injuries or damage even though the quake shook buildings. workers at the fukushima nuclear plant were ordered to higher ground as a precaution. >>> our guest host is dan gilbert, he's chairman and founder of quicken loans and the owners of the nba's cleveland cavaliers and among the topics we're ready to talk about dan, the risk of the looming fiscal cliff and the broader economy. we'll start with this morning's other top stories. dan, welcome, great to have you here. >> great to be here. >> we want to fin